King’s College Concession: Parents Mobilise for Mass Protest as N100bn Takeover Plan Sparks Outrage

The controversy over the Federal Government’s decision to concession King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) has intensified, with parents and other stakeholders mobilising for a mass protest against the arrangement.

Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Mr Peter Oluwaseye, confirmed the planned protest, stating that widespread opposition from parents, civil servants, and the host community had made the demonstration necessary. He emphasised that parents strongly object to the move, insisting that King’s College remains a public institution that should not be taken over by its former students. “Parents are not in support of the move. Senior civil servants are also saying no to it. The community is also not in support. Old boys should not see the college as their property. They attended the school just like the current students are doing. King’s College is a public property,” he said. The PTA chairman argued that KCOBA should support the institution through voluntary contributions rather than seek control of its administration. “The old students should give to the college willingly, not wanting to take it over. They won’t succeed. There is no private entity that can assemble the type of teachers we have in the college. We say no to concession, whatever guise it is being planned,” he stated.

The controversy follows an announcement in July 2026 by KCOBA President, Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the old boys’ association. Following the announcement, KCOBA launched a N100 billion endowment fund aimed at repositioning the college and financing infrastructure renewal, teacher development, digital technology, scholarships, research, innovation, and students’ welfare. Among the early contributors were First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who donated N10 million, while Ibrahim-Imam pledged N1 billion. Former Board of Trustees Chairman, Chief Philip Asiodu, and the association’s new Board Chairman, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, also donated N100 million each. The endowment fund will be chaired by the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, with economist Atedo Peterside serving as Vice Chairman.

READ ALSO:

• Adeleke withdraws EFCC suit after Tinubu’s intervention
• Osun Woman Found Dead With Severed Wrist Inside Church
• BREAKING: Edo Assembly leadership shake-up: Agbebaku out, Idaiyi emerges new Speaker

Ibrahim-Imam described the concession as a defining moment in the history of King’s College, potentially serving as a blueprint for the renewal of public education in Nigeria. He allayed fears that the government had sold the college, stressing it was “not a privatisation agreement” but rather “the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with government to restore, strengthen, modernise, and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions.” He further assured that the school’s federal character would remain intact, with students continuing to be admitted from all parts of the country regardless of ethnic, religious, or economic background. Giving an insight into how the journey towards the concession approval began, Ibrahim-Imam stated: “This historic milestone did not happen overnight. It is the culmination of years of careful planning, sustained advocacy, constructive engagement, and unwavering commitment by generations of Kingsmen who refused to accept that decline should define the future of their alma mater.”

However, the Parents-Teachers Association has strongly opposed the arrangement, expressing concern that the concession could result in increased school fees and other charges beyond the reach of many parents, forcing children from low-income families out of the institution and widening inequality in access to quality education. The PTA also faulted what it described as “secrecy surrounding the proposal,” saying critical stakeholders were not adequately consulted before the concession plan emerged. The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has similarly rejected the concession, warning that handing over King’s College and other Federal Government Colleges to private entities would make them unaffordable for millions of Nigerian students and threaten the jobs of teachers and other workers. The union recalled that similar attempts to privatise unity schools in 2005 were resisted through prolonged negotiations, industrial action, and legal battles.

As the controversy continues, parents have affirmed their commitment to protecting the integrity and accessibility of King’s College. They have called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the proposed concession and initiate genuine dialogue with all stakeholders before taking any decision.

King’s College Concession: Parents Mobilise for Mass Protest as N100bn Takeover Plan Sparks Outrage

Kebbi Woman Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Newborn to Deceive Husband

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 19-year-old woman, Khadija Ibrahim, for allegedly abducting a newborn baby and presenting the child to her husband as her own after faking a nine-month pregnancy.

Ibrahim, a resident of Rikoto in Zuru Local Government Area, was arrested on August 14, 2026, following a sustained police investigation into the incident. The alleged theft occurred on July 23, 2025, when Ibrahim reportedly approached Fatima Muhammad, who had just given birth, and offered to assist her by fetching hot water. According to police statements, instead of returning with the water, Ibrahim fled with the newborn.

The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Bashir Usman, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on August 16, 2026. Preliminary investigations revealed that Ibrahim had been under significant social and emotional pressure due to her inability to have a child, particularly as many of her peers had already given birth. The police said she allegedly deceived her husband for about nine months into believing she was pregnant. After the birth of Fatima Muhammad’s baby, she allegedly took the child and presented the newborn to her husband as their own.

READ ALSO:

• El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention
• Wike Slashes C-of-O Waiting Time to 14 Days as FCT Processes Over 26,000 Titles
• Naira Appreciates at Official Market as Dollar Trades at N1,357.61 Today, August 17

Police operatives successfully recovered the baby, who has since been safely reunited with the biological mother. The suspect remains in police custody and is expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations, in accordance with applicable law. The Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, CP Umar M. Hadejia, commended the operatives for their diligence and professionalism in securing the safe return of the baby and arresting the suspect. He reassured the public that the Command remains committed to protecting children and ensuring that anyone found culpable is brought to justice. The police also urged members of the public to continue providing useful information that could assist security agencies in protecting vulnerable persons and preventing crimes against children.

Kebbi Woman Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Newborn to Deceive Husband

El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has filed a fresh N10 billion fundamental rights suit against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that the anti-graft agency has repeatedly denied his wife and son access to him while in custody, in violation of his constitutional rights. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1852/2026, was filed on August 13, 2026, at the Federal High Court in Abuja through his lawyer, Ubong Akpan. The former governor also joined the ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as second and third respondents in the case.

El-Rufai, who has been in ICPC custody since February 2026, is seeking nine reliefs, including a declaration that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Part IV of the 1999 Constitution remain enforceable despite his detention. He contends that the repeated refusal to allow his family members access to him, particularly to provide food, medication, clothing and other personal necessities, without lawful justification or a court order, breached his rights under Sections 34 and 37 of the Constitution as well as Articles 5 and 18 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

According to court documents, El-Rufai alleged that on July 7, 2026, ICPC officers physically restrained and intimidated both his wife, Aichatou Asabe El-Rufai, and his son, Abba El-Rufai, when they attempted to visit him. He described the incident as an arbitrary interference with his spousal and filial relationships, insisting that the continued refusal to grant his family access subjected him to “humiliation, emotional trauma, anxiety and psychological distress.”

READ ALSO:

• Wike Slashes C-of-O Waiting Time to 14 Days as FCT Processes Over 26,000 Titles
• Naira Appreciates at Official Market as Dollar Trades at N1,357.61 Today, August 17
• Adeleke unveils second-term plans, vows to transform Osun into industrial hub

The former governor is asking the court to declare that the alleged denial of access is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void, and to compel the respondents to grant him “unhindered and reasonable access to members of his family and counsel throughout the period of his detention.” He argues that the respondents have acted “arbitrarily, unlawfully and in a manner inconsistent with Sections 34, 37 and 46 of the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”

In an affidavit filed in support of the suit, El-Rufai’s Principal Secretary, Mohammed Shaba, stated that the former governor is being detained at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja. Shaba disclosed that Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Kaduna Division, had on April 1, 2026, issued an order directing the ICPC to allow defendants in the criminal case access to their lawyers and personal physicians whenever required. According to the affidavit, this order reflects the principle that detainees cannot be held incommunicado and that detention conditions remain subject to judicial supervision.

Shaba further noted that before the July 7 incident, Asabe had consistently visited her husband and delivered meals, medication and other personal items without obstruction, in accordance with the commission’s established visitation procedures. The affidavit maintained that El-Rufai continues to enjoy all protections guaranteed under the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, including humane treatment and reasonable access to family members.

The fresh suit introduces a new legal battle alongside the criminal charges already pending against El-Rufai. The former governor, who served as Kaduna State governor between 2015 and 2023 and was also Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is facing multiple charges before courts in Abuja and Kaduna, including allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and complicity in the unlawful interception of phone communications of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

This is not the first legal action El-Rufai has taken against the ICPC since his detention. In February 2026, he filed a separate N1 billion fundamental rights suit against the commission over the alleged unlawful search of his Abuja residence. That suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026, challenged the validity of a search warrant issued by a Chief Magistrate of the FCT Magistrates’ Court, which El-Rufai alleged was used to raid his residence. He sought declarations that the search violated his fundamental rights to dignity, personal liberty, fair hearing and privacy, as guaranteed by Sections 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution.

El-Rufai Demands N10bn Damages from ICPC, Alleges Denial of Family Access During Detention